Locking device.



C. L. SEELEY.

LOCKING DEVICE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED MAY 13, 1911.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912..

8 n ua nto'a ee Z037 Charles imme/90% @vf UNIT D STATES PATENT om non.

CHARLES L. SEELEY, OF LA JUNTA, COLORADO.

V T all whom it may concern:

CHARLES L. SEELEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at La Junta, in the county of Otero and State of Colorado, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Looking Devices, of

which the following is a-specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings."

This invention relates to improvements in locking devices and more particularly to a device for'loeking the. steering post of a motor vehicle whereby tampering with the machine by unauthorized parties during Be it known that I,

I, theabsence of the owner is rendered impossible. a Y a lhe'primary object of the-present invention' is to provide-a very simple and effec- -tive lock which may be-easily' and quickly 2 0 operated and will securely retain the wheels 'ofamotor vehicle in the position to they have been turned.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bolt transversely disposed through the steering post, means mounted on the '"=steeringpost'eo-acting with said bolt to pre- {vent rotative movement of the bolt, said means also closing the openings through \vhi eh :the boltis positioned, when said bolt which 30,Tis removed.

A still further object of the invention is v to prov'ide'a locking bolt adapted to be inserted tlirough a steering post and its casing, a spring pressed platesslidahly mounted upon the casing of the post and normally closing the bolt receiving openings, said bolt having' means thereon to move said plate. and co-act with theplate to prevent rotative movement of the bolt, and a pad- 4Q lock relnovably attached toonmend of the :bOlt to prevent its extraction.

"With the above and other objects in view,

w the inventionconsists of the novel features.

o of construehomicombination and arrange l5-ment of parts =;hereiinafter fully described and claimed, arid illustratedin the accom panymg draw ngs, in Wl11Ch-+ "Figure 1' 's a side elevation of a portion of a motor vehicle showing any improved l'oclting device applied to the steering post thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the post; Fig. 3 is a detail elevation showing the normal position of the springpressed plate; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4--t of Fig; 2: and Fig. 5

LOCKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Ifatent. Patented hlai. 19, 1912. Application filed May 13, 1911. Serial No. 627,047. I

is a; detail perspective view of the spring pressed plate.

Referring in detail to the drawing 5 designates the tubular steering post of an automobile and 6 the casing therefor. The post and easing are provided with openings? and 8 respectively which, when the post is locked, are disposed in alinement to receive the locking bolt 9. 'lhis bolt is provided upon one end with a headlO and upon the other end thereof a longitudinally extending inverted V-shaped rib or web 11 is formed. The steering post and its casing are also provided with short longitudinal slots 7', 8 respectively which communicate with the openings 7 and 8 and are adapted to receive this longitudinal rib of the locking bolt. Upon opposite sides-of the casing 6, a housing 12 is rigidlyv secured. This housing is rectangular in form, and the outer wall thereotis provided with a longitudinal slot 13. The periphery of the casing 6 forms the other wall of the housin and between said walls the vertically sliding plate 14 is arranged, said plate having a stud 15 formed on one end projecting into the slot 13 of the housing. A coiled spring 16 is also arranged in said housing and engages upon one end of the plate to force said plate down- \vardly below the lower end of the housing and normally dispose the same over the opening 8 in the casing, thereby ,exeluding dust and other foreign matter from the interior of said casing. This position of the spring pressed plate is illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing and it will be noted that the lower end of the sliding plateis provided with a short longitudinal recess 16', the upper edge of whichis downwardly and outwardly beveled as indicated at 17 for engagement by the inclined edges of the rib 11 on the locking bolt. It will therefore be seen that when the bolt 9 is inserted \through the post, one of the plates 14 is first lifted, and the end of the bolt having the ribformed thereon inserted through the alined openings 7 and 8 of the post and its casing. Th plate on the opposite side of .the casing is'ia-lso lifted so that the rib 11 is received in the recess 10 of said plate, and as the bolt is moved through the aiined openings of the post. and its casing, the engagement of the rib 11, with the inclined edge l7of said recess lifts the plate 14 until the lower end of the plate is disposed upon opposite 4 which the rib 11 is formed is further provided. with a curved orifice 18, the ends of which open through the end of the bolt and sides of. the central portionofjsaid rib'.

When in this position it will be obvious that any turning movement of the bolt is prevented, thus. practically eliminating all wear upon thepost; The end'of the bolt on through one side thereof..- This orifice is adapted to receive the shackle of a padlock 19 of an preferred form, whereby said bolt is secure y locked in position in thepost and also prevented. It will be understood that l I the studs on the plates 14: project from the slot 13 of the housing so that the may be readily engaged by the finger of t e operator to lift the plates.

By providing the vertically movable spring pressed plates 14 on opposite sides of the steering post casing, the locking bolt 9 may be inserted from either side of the post through theoperiing's 7 and 8. It is of course understood that only one of the locking plates 14 engages with the web 11 a. on the bolt 9 at a time,'the plate '14 on the opposite side of the post-serving simply to cover the opening in the post casing when the bolt 9 is removed. This is the princi a1 reason for the provision of the two vertica ly movable plates 14. These plates and the housings 12 in which they are arranged are identical in construction.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and operation of my improved locking device will be fully understood. The same is ve simple, may be easily and quickly arrange in position on the steering post and effectually prevents any turning movement of said post so that unauthorized tam ering with the machine in the absence of t e owner is prevented. My improved lock may also be manufactured at a com- 1 paratively small cost, an is extremely duraleand highly eilicient in practical use.

While I have disclosed the invention as applied to the steering post of a motor vel e, 'the device is also applicable to many other uses, and it will therefore be understood that I do not wish to be restricted to the specific use herein set forth. 1 The device is further susceptible of a greatsmany minor modifications in the form, proportion and arrangement of the partswithout from the essential fea'tnr Ur sacrificing any of the advantages thereo Having thus described the invention what is claimed is Y 1 the combination with a steering post and its casing having openings therein at diadeparting metrically'oppositepoints, of a locking pin adapted to beinsertjed through said openings, and means movably mounted on the post casing adapted to coact with. means formed on the pin to-prevent rotative movement of the pin in the post. l

2. In a lock of the character described, thecombination with a steeringpost and its casing having openingstherein at diametrically opposite points, of a locking pin adapted to be inserted through said openings; spring pressed plates longitudinally movable-on the post casing, said pin carrying means co-actmg with saidplates to pre vent rotative post. i v

3. In a lock of the character described, the combination with a steering post and its casing having openin .therein at diametrically opposite points,.o a locking pin adapted to be inserted through said openings, a plate slidable upon the casing of the post co -acting with said pin to-hold the same against rotative movement and additional means removably engaged with one'- end 'ofsaid pin and co-acting with the casing of the post to prevent longitudinal movement of the pin.

4. In a lock of the character described, the combination with a steering post and its casing having openings therein at diametrically opposite points, of a locking pin having a head on one end adapted to be inserted throu h said openings, spring pressed plates slidab y mounted on the casing of the post, said pm having-a longitudinal rib formed thereon to be engaged by said plates'to prevent rotative movement of the in in the post, and a padlock removably ngaged in the end of said pixrand co-acting with the post casing to prevent lgngitudinal movementofthe in.

5. In a loc of the character described the combination with a, steering post and its casing having openings therein at diametrically opposite points, of a locking pin having a head on one end and adapted to be inserted through saidopenings, said pin having a rib formed on its other end, spring pressed plates arranged on the post casing normally covering the openings thereof adapted to be engaged by said rib to prevent rotative movemcntof the pin, and means removably engaged with said pin and coacting with the post casing to prevent longitudinal movement of the pin.

6. In a lock of the character described, the combination with a' steering post and its casing having openings therein at diametrically opposite points, of a locking pin adapted to be inserted through said openl ings, said in having a head formed on one ,1. In a lock of the character described, i

end and a ongitudinally extending inverted V-shaped rib on its other end, spring pressed plates arranged on said casing and normally movement pfthe pin in the closin the openings therein, a recess in one casing of the post to prevent longitudinal end 0 said plates to receive the rib on said movement of the pin.

pin, one of said plates co-acting With said In'testimony whereof I hereunto affix my rib in the locking position of the pin to presignature in the presence of two Witnesses.

iv 'ventsaid pin from rotating said pin having v a curved orifice therein (ipening through CHARLES SEELEY' one end and upon the side of the pin, and 'Witnesses:

' apadlock having its shackle removably en- GEO. E. MOOAULEY, v gaged in said orifice and co-acting with the CHARLES P. MILLER. 

